JP2667095B2 - Methods and systems used for telephone transactions - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and a method for establishing a voice link between a home agent and a remote customer while at the same time establishing a data link between the home agent and a transaction processing center remote therefrom. About the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it has been practiced to respond to an order by telephone and make a transaction with the customer by telephone. However, those who worked as telephone market agents could not work from home. until now,
It was not economical for a home agent to provide sufficient telephone service, to have access to a database that would enable the agent to fulfill customer orders, and to conduct transactions with customers over the telephone. Therefore, telephone market agents need to have sufficient telephone service and access to databases away from home. That is, they had to go to the transaction processing center and work.

Currently, telephone market agents are making efforts to enable transactions with customers at home rather than at a trading center. To do so, the first telephone call is routed to the transaction processing center and connected to the home agent by PBX (Automatic Telephone Transfer). In this way, the home agent secures a telephone call (line) to the transaction processing center, through which the incoming customer's order is routed to the home agent. If the reserved lines are the ISDN B and D channels, the home agent can make a voice transaction with the customer, while at the same time also having data communication with the database of the computer of the transaction processing center. Also, if the secured line can only transfer voice signals, then a separate data link is required between the home agent and the transaction processing center.

[0004]

The problem with the conventional method is that the home agent is constantly in contact with the transaction processing center and must handle the customer's order and end the transaction. . Thus, the home agent must always be connected to the transaction processing center during the transaction reception time, even if no communication path is established with the customer. It is not efficient to secure the line all the time. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a home agent with the ability to access telephone services and databases at a location remote from the transaction processing center.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The telephone transaction method of the present invention comprises the steps of placing a customer-originated call initially directed to a transaction processing center (16) at a customer service local exchange carrier (LEC) central office (18). Receiving, identifying a designated home agent (12) to receive the customer-originated call, and the customer-originated call,
Routing from the customer service LEC central office to an agent service LEC central office serving a designated home agent; and providing the agent service to establish a voice link between the customer and the home agent. LEC Central Office (26)
A customer-originated call from a designated home agent (12) via a voice and data communication channel.
And when a voice link between the home agent and the customer is established, the voice and data communication channel between the home agent and the transaction processing center (16). , And communicating data.

[0006]

1 shows a telephone communication system 10 of the present invention. In this telephone communication system 10, a geographically separated home agent 12 handles a call from a customer 14 who is initially directed to a transaction processing center 16. Each customer (home phone or voice terminal)
14 dials the telephone number of the transaction processing center 16 in order to place an order with the transaction processing center 16 (catalog sales, travel agency, telecommunications company, securities company) and make a transaction.
In this embodiment, the telephone number of the transaction processing center 16 is 800, for example, 1-800-XXX-XXX.
X.

[0007] A call from a customer 14 is first received by a regional switching carrier central office 18 serving that customer 14. Since this call is of type 800, it is not processed by the local exchange carrier central office 18. The call is forwarded from the regional exchange carrier central office 18 to the first exchange 20 (of AT & T) of the public telephone network 22. First exchange 2
At 0, a first local telephone exchange 21 (AT &T's 4ESS exchange) is located.

[0008] When a call 800 is normally received by the first exchange 20, the destination of the call is the first local exchange 21.
Confirmed by Also, this call is made to the transaction processing center 1
If originally destined for 6, the call is then routed via the public telephone network 22 to the second exchange 24. This second exchange 24 has a transaction processing center 16
Service within the area where is located. At the second exchange 24, a second local exchange 25 forwards the call from the customer 14 to a second local exchange carrier 26, which has a special leased trunk (not shown). ) To the transaction processing center 16. Conventionally, there is only one destination (transaction processing center 16) for the 800 call from the customer who was first directed to the transaction processing center 16.

In the present invention, after a call originating from a customer is transferred from the regional exchange carrier central office 18 to the first regional telephone exchange 21, the first regional telephone exchange 21
The first set of records 28 in the database 27 is accessed to identify the first device to receive a call placed by this customer. In this case, it is the transaction processing center 16. This will be the first recipient that the transaction processing center 16, or other center, originates from the customer, depending on the number dialed.

When the first local exchange 21 identifies the transaction processing center 16 as the first (original) recipient of a customer call, the first local exchange 21 Access the second set of records 29. This second set of records 29 records the telephone number of one (preferably a plurality) of home agents 12 to which calls from customers (initially received by transaction processing center 16) are forwarded.

Once all the home agents 12 to which the call from the customer 14 has been transferred have been identified, the first local exchange 21 then records the call status for each home agent 12 in the database 27. The third set of records 30 is checked. The information recorded in this third set of records 30 is
Can receive the call, or home agent 1
2 indicates whether or not a call is in progress. Third record set 3
The information in 0 is always updated by the information sent from the home agent 12 to the first local exchange 21 via the second local exchange carrier 26, so that the first local exchange 21 cannot transfer the call. Home agent 1
Recognize 2.

When an available home agent 12 is identified, the first local exchange 21 forwards the customer's call via the public telephone network 22 to a second exchange 24, which Serves a second local exchange carrier 26, which in turn serves the identified home agent 12 identified as capable of receiving calls. In this embodiment, the second local exchange carrier 26 serves both the home agent 12 and the transaction processing center 16, and the second local telephone exchange 25 of the second exchange 24 passes the call to the second local exchange carrier 26. Transfer to Here, note that
The home agent 12 to which the call from the customer is forwarded is not serviced by the second local exchange carrier 26, but is served by another second local exchange carrier. This home agent 1
2 is remote from transaction processing center 16 and this home agent 12 is served by a completely different exchange from second exchange 24 which serves transaction processing center 16.

Second service to home agent 12
The local exchange carrier 26 is far enough from the customer 14 that the call must be forwarded over the public telephone network 22. The home agent 12 is the customer 1
As in 4, it is served by the regional exchange carrier central office 18. A second local exchange carrier 26 serving the home agent 12 is geographically close to the customer 14. In such a situation, the call from the customer 14 to the home agent 12 is transferred through the regional exchange carrier central office 18 or a local line between the offices without passing through the second exchange 24. In any case, the local exchange carrier central office 18 needs to identify the call from the customer by the first local exchange office 21 of the first exchange office 20. Because the first phone number is 800. Transaction processing center 1
6 is the local number served by the second local exchange carrier 26, the second
Since the local exchange carrier 26 includes a database 27,
This is not necessary.

In FIG. 1, the second local exchange 25 of the second exchange 24 need not necessarily be located in a geographical proximity to the second local exchange carrier 26 serving the home agent 12. However, in this embodiment, the second local exchange 25 is located near the second local exchange carrier 26. A connection hub 32 is arranged in the vicinity of the second regional exchange carrier 26 to facilitate the connection between the second regional exchange carrier 25 and the second regional exchange carrier 26,
It is connected to the second local exchange carrier 26 via a first communication channel 34. A second communication channel 36 connects the connection hub 32 and the second local exchange 25. If the second exchange 24 and the second local exchange carrier 26 are co-located, the connection hub 32 is not needed.

The call from the customer is once received by the second local exchange carrier 26 and then forwarded from the second local exchange carrier 26 to the home agent 12 via the customer loop 38. In this embodiment, the customer loop 38
The second regional exchange carrier 26 through the channel bank 42
Communication channel 40 connected to the home agent 1
X.2 to the channel bank It has an ISDN trunk 44 of 25 data capacity. Typically, a single channel bank 42 serves a plurality of individual customers, including home agent 12. Once the call from the customer is transferred to the home agent 12, the call is received by the agent at voice terminal 46 and establishes a voice link with the customer. This call is actually received by the home agent 12, but the customer 14
I think I dialed 6.

When home agent 12 receives a call from a customer, it accesses a database in transaction processing center 16 to handle the customer's order and complete the transaction requested by the customer. The home agent 12 is the transaction processing center 16
Each home agent 12 is provided with a computer terminal 48, which can access the customer loop
And the second local exchange carrier 26 to the transaction processing center 16. Since the ISDN trunk 44 and the communication channel 40 can transfer voice and data at the same time, the home agent 12 has a conversation with the customer 14,
The computer terminal 4 provides information necessary for the transaction processing center 16
8 can be accessed simultaneously. The computer terminal 48 is an ordinary personal computer, for example, a model 6386 personal computer of AT & T.

1 and 2, the home agent 12
Is forwarded to the second local exchange carrier 26 via the customer loop 38,
Local exchange carrier 26 to ISDN trunk 52 (Fig. 1
Are transferred to the transaction processing center 16 via a single trunk (two trunks in FIG. 2). The B channel type trunk of the ISDN trunk 52 is X.509. It has 25 data capacities. The incoming order (data packet) received on the second local exchange 25 is decomposed by a multiplexer 54 (only one is shown in FIG. 1). In FIG. 2, each multiplexer 54 is connected to a protocol converter 56 via a line. The protocol converter 56 converts the protocol of the signal received from the multiplexer 54 into a format suitable for input into a bank of computers 58. The computer 58 records data accessed by the home agent 12. Protocol converter 5
6 is input directly to the computer 58, but preferably a front end processor (FEP) 60 is inserted between the protocol converter 56 and the computer 58.

In FIG. 1, at least one voice terminal 62 is located at transaction processing center 16 and is connected to second local exchange carrier 26 via voice trunk 64 to initiate a telephone conversation. Generally, voice terminal 62 is located within transaction processing center 16. Status information from the second local exchange carrier 26 is provided to the transaction processing center 16 via an analog trunk 66, which functions as a file server 68 at the transaction processing center 16. The file server 76 is accessed via the terminal 72. The voice communications on voice trunk 64 and the status information received on analog trunk 66 are necessary for the capabilities of transaction processing center 16 to transfer and receive data to transaction processing center 16. is not.

Second set of records 2 in database 27
Information contained in 9 and the home agent from the customer 1
2 needs to be updated. For example, the home agent 12 may not be working one day,
Erroneous information that prevents the call from being forwarded to the client. The information recorded in the second set of records 29 is updated via a terminal 72, which communicates via a communication channel 78
It is arranged in a file server 76 connected to the connection hub 32. This file server 76 is separate from the transaction processing center 16, but a terminal (not shown) is provided in the file server 76 and connected to the connection hub 32 in the same manner as the terminal 72 for updating the second set of records 29. Connected.

The call transfer information, ie, the identification of the transaction processing center 16, the identification of the home agent 12 associated with the transaction processing center 16, and the call status information of the home agent 12 are stored in a first set of Recorded in record 28. The reason for recording this information at the first exchange 20 is that the home agent 12 is not necessarily served by the same second regional exchange carrier 26 or the second exchange 24. At locations where all home agents 12 are served by the second local exchange carrier 26, a second set of records 29 and a third set 30 of records, each containing the identity of the home agent and its call status, are stored in the second exchange 24. Instead, it is stored in the second local exchange carrier 26. As such, the database 27 contains only the first set of records 28, which forwards customer calls initially directed to the transaction processing center 16. For example, the second regional exchange carrier 2
6 is specified. Forwarding the call to a particular home agent 12 is performed by the second local exchange carrier 26 in FIG.
Is executed using a database (not shown) including information included in the second set of records 29 and the third set of records 30.

[0021]

In the customer call forwarding system of the present invention, the first call made by the customer 14 to the transaction processing center 16 is forwarded to the home agent 12, and the home agent 12 simultaneously receives information from the transaction center 16. To access and complete the transaction with the customer. Only when the call from the customer is actually received by the home agent 12, the home agent 12 and the transaction processing center 16
A first communication channel is established between the first and the second, thereby effecting the first charge.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a telephone communication system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a part of the telephone communication system of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Telephone communication system 12 Home agent 14 Customer 16 Transaction processing center 18 Regional exchange carrier central office 20 First exchange 21 First regional exchange 22 Public telephone network 24 Second exchange 25 Second regional telephone exchange 26 Second Local exchange carrier 27 Database 28 First set of records 29 Second set of records 30 Third set of records 32 Connection hub 34 First communication channel 36 Second communication channel 38 Customer loop 40 Communication channel 42 Channel bank 44 ISDN trunk 46 Voice Terminal 48 Computer terminal 52 ISDN trunk 54 Multiplexer 56 Protocol converter 58 Computer 60 Front-end processor (FEP) 62 Voice terminal 64 Voice trunk 66 Analog trunk 68 File server 70 Terminal 76 File server 78 Communication channel

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Margaret H. Redburgh United States 07701 New Jersey Redbank, Hubbard Park 15 (72) Inventor Stephen Dee. Simon United States 07748 New Jersey Middletown, Brush Boulevard 14 (72) Inventor Rogert Kent Simonson United States 60015 Illinois Riververs, Junebury Road 725 (56) References JP-A-2-298154 (JP, A) JP-A-2-231852 (JP, A) JP-A-2-265345 (JP, A) JP-T-62-502722 (JP, A)

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A telephone set for setting up a communication path between a home agent (12) and a remote customer (14) and performing a transaction using a database in a transaction processing center (16).
In the method to be used to pull, customer service local exchange carrier service to the customer (L
EC) receiving, at a central office (18), a customer originating call from a customer originally directed to a transaction processing center (16); and a designated home agent (12) for receiving the customer originating call. ), Routing the customer-originated call from the customer service LEC central office to an agent service LEC central office (26) that serves a designated home agent; Transferring the customer-originated call from the agent service LEC central office (26) to a designated home agent (12) over a sound and data communication channel to establish a voice link between the agents. Establishing a voice link between the home agent and the customer; Via said communication channels for voice and data between stringent and the transaction processing center (16), a method of using a telephone transaction to the step of communicating the data, characterized in that it consists of. 2. The identification step includes: accessing a first storage device (28) containing a number dialed by the customer to identify a transaction processing center intended by the customer; and identifying from the first storage device. Accessing a second storage device (29) containing a list of home agents receiving the first call to the designated transaction processing center; and call state information regarding home agent availability identified in the second storage device. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: accessing a third storage device (30) that includes: 3. The step of routing includes: a call from the customer service LEC central office (18).
Routing the call to a first exchange (21) of a first exchange (20); and a second exchange close to the agent service LEC central office (26) via a public telephone communication network (22). (24) forwarding the call from the second exchange to the agent service LEC
Routing to a central office (26). 4. The LE for servicing a transaction processing center between the home agent (12) and the transaction processing center (16) in the data communication step.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a data path connection via the C central office. 5. A telephone transaction for setting up a communication path between a home agent (12) and a remote customer (14) and performing a transaction with the customer using a database in a transaction processing center (16). In the system used, a first local exchange carrier (LEC) central office (18) serving a customer receiving a customer-originated call initially directed to a transaction processing center (16), and connected to the LEC central office A first local exchange office (21) of the first exchange office (20), and a first exchange office (2) for receiving the customer-originated call.
0), means (28, 29, 30) for identifying the designated home agent (12), and the customer originating call to a second LEC central office (26) serving the specified home agent. Means for routing (34); forwarding the customer-originated call from the second LEC central office (26) to the home agent (12); and transferring data from the home agent to the transaction processing center (16).
A system for use in telephone transactions, comprising a synthesized voice to be transferred to a telephone and a data path for signals (44). 6. A first storage device (28) including a transaction processing center that the customer originally intended to identify the transaction processing center, and the transaction processing center first identified from the first storage device. A second storage device (29) containing a list of home agents receiving the received calls, and a third storage device (30) containing call state information on home agent availability identified in the second storage device. The system of claim 5, wherein: And means for updating the second storage device.
The system of claim 6, further comprising (2, 76). 8. The update means having at least one data entry terminal (72) and a communication channel (78) connecting each of the data entry terminals to the first exchange. System.